A Story of Resilience

Posted by April Nockleby, ALDF's Online Content Manager on January 22, 2007

Here at ALDF, we hear about horrific cases of animal abuse and neglect. Thankfully, we are in a position to lend assistance and positively affect many of these cases. Through my experiences at ALDF and my work with animals, I have come to believe that there is a huge importance, duty even, for not only organizations but individuals to take action on as many of these cases as we can to try to positively affect them.

Skimming through my Google Alerts this morning, I came across a story that not only caught my attention, but brought me to tears… of joy. This is not something we can always say working in this field. It was a story of a dog, Pilgrim, who was so severely starved, the animal control officer who responded to the call thought he was dead. Pilgrim laid motionless, chained in a Tampa, Florida backyard, with skin draping over his protruding bones. No food, water or shelter in sight. As the officer approached the dog, he noticed a slight tail wag. This beautiful, resilient creature was still alive.

Pilgrim survived his tale of unimaginable starvation, neglect and abuse. He is now looking for a permanent home and family to love him. And despite what his human, Lawrence Williams, allegedly did to him, Pilgrim still loves humans and shows no signs of aggression or ill temper.

I am currently looking into how this case is proceeding and if the publics voice is needed to help prosecute Williams to the fullest extent of the law if found guilty. I will update this posting as details become available.

For other cases of abuse and neglect that need the publics voice, visit ALDF’s Actionline. We can make a difference for animals through our voice, our compassion and our actions.

For more information about Pilgrim’s story and to see “before and after” pictures, read more here. Warning: this story contains a graphic image.

2/7/07 Update:

According to PetAbuse.com: "Pilgrim’s former owner, Lawrence C. Williams, is no longer facing animal cruelty charges. According to court documents, probable cause was found, but the State Attorney’s Office determined that they were unable to satisfy the burden of proof "beyond a reasonable doubt", and the decision was made not to file charges."

Clark County Commissioners are meeting on Wednesday, March 4 to consider revoking the zoning permits for Keith Evans to house exotic animals. ALDF needs your help to make sure the interests of these and other animals are protected! Read More »

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